A dioecious vine with a woody stem up to 8-10 m long and more, about 2 cm thick, with a long root. The leaves are petiolate, elliptical, pointed, with a wedge-shaped base, entire, with red petioles. The flowers are in the leaf axils, one or several on long pedicels, with 6-9 tepals. Staminate flowers have 5 stamens fused into a column. Pistillate flowers have a cylindrical receptacle bearing numerous two-celled pistils. As the receptacle matures, it elongates 20-50 times; each pistil turns into a berry, forming a fruit resembling a hanging spike (developed from one flower), densely populated with sessile red berries (up to 10-40), each containing 2 seeds. The seeds are yellow and kidney-shaped. The bark and leaves have a lemon scent. It blooms in mid-June, and the berries ripen in September-October. One vine produces 4-5 kg of berries. The pulp has an extremely sour taste; the skin is sweet; the seeds have a burning taste with an unpleasant odor. The fruits — Fructus Schizandrae and the seeds — Semen Schizandrae are used. Even when ripe, the fruits of Schizandra are not particularly pleasant-tasting. Since ancient times, the Goldi hunters have made sure to stockpile dried Schizandra berries. It was long noticed that a person who eats a handful of berries can chase wild animals all day without getting tired and without eating.
It has been established that Schizandra fruits stimulate the central nervous system and have a positive effect on conditioned reflex activity.
Schizandra tinctures are used for general asthenia and heart diseases.
The fruits of Schizandra chinensis contain several organic acids — citric, malic, succinic, tartaric, as well as sugars, tannins, and coloring compounds. The fatty oil of Schizandra seeds contains a significant amount of vitamin E.
It grows in the Far East, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions, in the Manchurian-type cedar-broadleaf forests; it is most commonly found at altitudes of no more than 500-600 meters in shrubs, along stream valleys, and in the upper reaches of mountain rivers, but it is absent in the floodplains of large rivers and in swampy areas.
Hunters from the Goldi tribe have pointed out the stimulating effects of Schizandra when tired.
The active compounds are schizandrin, isolated as a crystalline non-nitrogenous substance, and schizandrol methyl esters of polyoxyphenols, belonging to lignans — compounds of the dibenzocyclooctadiene series. Their total content in the seeds is 3% and in the bark, 5%. They are dissolved in the essential oil found in the fruit peel. Dry berries contain 350-580 mg% of ascorbic acid. The berries have a very high content of organic acids: citric (10-11%), malic (7-10%), with some tartaric acid (figures are calculated for the dry mass of whole fruits, but acids are only found in the pulp); the pulp also contains sugars, pectin, etc., but no schizandrin.
The whole plant contains essential oil: in the peel and pulp of the fruits, there is only 0.3%, in the seeds, 2% (found only in the inner layer of the seed coat). It has an unpleasant odor. The seed coat contains schizandril and related compounds, as well as sterins, resins, and others. The bark of the stem contains essential oil with a lemon scent (2.5-3%), while only traces of it are found in the roots. The seed kernel is rich in semi-drying fatty oil (33%).
It was introduced into medical practice as a stimulating and toning agent for mental and physical fatigue and to enhance night vision.
Tincture made from the seeds or fruits (1:5 in 95° alcohol) is used, 20-25 drops 2-3 times a day.